Overview & Reviews

Swedish-born Volvo has long been a forerunner in safety research, and its vehicles have the crash test scores to prove it. These days, the brand has improved its offerings by crafting vehicles that also offer generous amounts of style and performance.

In Latin, the word "Volvo" means "I roll." Volvo cars have been rolling ever since 1927, when the first vehicle (nicknamed "Jakob") was produced in the city of Gothenburg. The company's founders, Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larsson, put an emphasis on safety, and that dictum still holds true today. The Jakob was joined by the six-cylinder PV651 in 1929, and by 1931, more than 10,000 Volvos had been produced.

Postwar, Volvo unveiled one of its biggest successes, the PV444. By the 1950s, Volvo had begun exporting cars to the U.S., and the PV444 — with its compact size and stylish looks — helped the manufacturer quickly make a name for itself in its new territory. The decade also saw Volvo building on its reputation for being a vanguard in the area of safety; it was the first manufacturer to make vehicles with a three-point safety belt.

The 1960s saw the launch of a new Volvo sports car, the P1800. The car's sculpted good looks helped earn it celebrity status when it was featured on the long-running TV series The Saint, with Roger Moore behind the wheel. Safety features grew more advanced during this decade and Volvo was again at the forefront of the action, offering features such as padded dashboards and energy-resistant crumple zones in front and rear.

Volvo distinguished itself as the exclusive home to a number of valuable new technologies during the 1970s. If you were looking for safety features such as childproof locks, collapsible steering columns and rear-facing child seats during this decade, you'd only find them in a Volvo.

Like BMWs and Saabs, Volvos became an American "yuppie" favorite during the 1980s. The company proved its technological know-how wasn't just limited to safety when it rolled out its first turbocharged car. By the end of the decade, Volvo had unveiled new models like the front-wheel-drive 480 hatchback (for Europe) and the Italian-designed 780 coupe.

In the early '90s, Volvo launched the 850. The car was Volvo's first front-wheel-drive executive car, and teamed performance with the company's trademark attention to safety. The decade also saw Volvo rolling out new models like the S40 and C70 — cars that updated the automaker's boxy image with a more rounded, sculpted aesthetic. The company became part of the Ford family when it was acquired by the automaker in 1998. Ford helped Volvo financially, while Volvo provided Ford with new safety technologies and car platforms. Due to Ford's financial troubles during the American recession, however, Ford sold Volvo to the Chinese automaker Geely in 2010.

It's unknown how Volvo's new owner will guide the brand long term, but chances are Volvo will continue to offer sedans, coupes and SUVs known for their combination of safety and driving excitement.

User Reviews:

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 2005 Volvo S40
  By sgtcheesenols - November 3 - 6:25 pm

  I have owned a Mitsubishi and 2 Hyundais in my lifetime, and taken all of them beyond 100K miles. They all had minimal issues, and 2 of them are still running with their new owners. At 50K miles, this Volvo began having a myriad of issues. I spent over $6K fixing it, and finally gave up. I had to replace the Dashboard A/C vents, the A/C compressor, the ceiling carpet, the brakes, both engine mounts, among other things. I finally gave up! The quality and reliability of this vehicle is horrible enough to make me never want to buy a Volvo again. Buyer beware if you plan

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  Xus review - 2002 Volvo S60
  By He Xu - October 2 - 10:00 am

  The quality and reliability are very poor. This is not a trable-free car

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  2008 Volvo XC70 in Canada - 2008 Volvo XC70
  By NIBS - August 23 - 5:33 am

  This is my third Volvo. Previous to this car was an 02 XC70 and an 850 turbo. My experience with the 08 model is not something to write home about. The fuel economy of this car (avg 13.8L/100kms) is far less than the 2002 and the increase in HP does little to affect performance. Personally I prefer the older turbo model. I also like the center stack from the old model as it was slightly turned towards the driver. Other than cosmetic, there is very little about this car that is better than the previous model. The car is not as quiet nor as tight. I currently have 13K kms on this car and it has been back to the dealer five times for warranty repair.

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  Continually Frustrated with XC90 - 2004 Volvo XC90
  By Mike_AnnArbor - July 18 - 8:43 am

  For a $40K+ Auto, Im extremely disappointed with the number of times Ive had to take it in for repairs. The engine & body have been reliable - only 2 or 3 service calls in those areas. The problems with electronics have been numerous. Examples: - New software to close windows properly - Ship CD player back to Sweden to retrieve stuck CDs (10 weeks) - Car doors mysteriously lock themselves - Seats loose their memory every month - Disable intermittent wipers - they go crazy on sunny days Every time we take it to Sesi Volvo, they insist there is nothing wrong. We need to insist they look for service note and they usually find th

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  Try Building Something Competitive - 2001 Volvo S60
  By Darrin Johnson - July 6 - 10:00 am

  If you dont want a close relationship with the dealer service team, think twice about buying a Volvo S60. I found myself at the service center on a regular basis for the following: slipping transmission, sun roof replacement, radio seek button wouldnt quit seeking, headlights/talelights burning out, gas cover fallin off, key stuck in ignition, and the list goes on. The Volvo service team acted like this was standard, no big deal. It seems that Ford has stripped Volvo and is selling the name plate, thats unfortanate.

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  Dont waste your time - 2016 Volvo XC90
  By No longer a volvo fan - June 21 - 7:29 am

  We brought our xc90 back on June of 2015 after trading in our 2013 xc60. It was one of the first models, fresh off the assembly line. It is a beautiful car. But dont let its looks fool you. The first 6 months were great. Then things started to go downhill. The first thing that happened was the hood flew open while we were driving. Luckily we were on a city street and were only driving 30 miles per hour; this could have been a disaster. We had the car towed to the dealer. They identified a faulty hood release and fixed the body work free of charge. Next we started to notice that the safety system is too sensitive. We had 2 instances of the car stopping itself (braking) for no apparent reason while in city traffic. Again, disaster was averted due to low speed and traffic. The car also has electronic and braking issues. Out of the blue the brakes started squealing and grinding to the point that it was undrivable (at 11k miles). Had it towed to the dealer where the front and rear brakes and rotors had to be replaced. While there, I asked that the software be updated (the dealer couldnt manage to figure it out when I was last there). They had problems with it. My car was out of service for 2 weeks due to an inability to update the software that controls many features of the car. A week after I picked it up I took it back because the brake light would not go off and all of the tire sensors were on. Its been there for the last 2 weeks and they cant figure out how to fix the issues. Shame on volvo for using its customers as guinea pigs; the car has many issues that they are working out in the field and its not okay! Save your money, time, and energy and buy something else! Ive moved on to a lovely audi!

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  What happened to Volvo? - 1998 Volvo V70
  By E. Knapp - June 6 - 7:33 am

  I have always had a Volvo since the mid 80s. The quality of them, CHEAP Plastic, and way too much for parts and service, almost a 300% mark up on the stuff. The Emissions started acting up and the car will not pass even after spending $1000 on service only to be told it cant be fixed. As well as there is a shake in the front end (no accidents) and been in twice never found out what was wrong. Perfect alignment Never buy another one!

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  Volvo XC60 - 2010 Volvo XC60
  By Hz2bred - June 5 - 10:13 pm

  After 3 days of driving our new XC60; the power steering went out. It took the dealership over 1 week to fix the problem and get the part. This model has been recalled 2 times since our purchase. In less than one year: a piece of the sunroof fell off and the rear wiper blade motor burned out. This has been a bit of a disappointing driving experience; especially when we spent over $40,000.00 on a car.

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  Please stay away from this car. - 1999 Volvo S80
  By jd1isa2 - May 8 - 8:34 am

  I bought the car last year and has been a big vacuum due to all the repairs. from the transmission, to the airbags, to suspension. Everything went wrong. Stalled on me several times. Bought it because of the Volvo safety reputation, but totally not worth it. Heard the later versions are markedly better but Im staying away from this car.

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  In one word: "Unreliable " - 2001 Volvo S80
  By michaeloo - April 28 - 7:13 pm

  Unreliable and poor build quality describe this car. Always something going wrong on it. Consumes too much oil. Enough to catch you by surprise. 7500 miles intervals is not enough for a bi-turbo car. How could Volvo suggest such long intervals?? Torque steer in this class is simply unheard of. But the S80 has it by the loads. Dont buy this car. Stereo is poor. Cup holders are a joke.